Sandwiches are hard to beat when it comes to easy weekday lunches. They’re portable, make-ahead friendly, and don’t need to be heated up. Also, sandwiches can be eaten with your hands…which is a surprisingly big benefit, given every office we’ve ever worked at seems to have a constant shortage of forks. The one downside of sandwiches is that almost all the options out there seem to be centered around meat. If you want a vegetarian or vegan sandwich instead?! Usually it means tossing together a bunch of sliced veggies and calling it a day. But you my friend, deserve so much better.

This Lemon & Dill Chickpea Sandwich brings the love back into veggie sandwiches. The chickpea filling packs a punch of flavor, not to mention a good dose of protein to keep you powered through the day. It’s satisfying in every way. This is what a veggie sandwich should be. Smashing the chickpeas in a bowl makes for a creamy and cohesive filling. And as a nod to the tuna sandwiches of our childhood, we mix in celery for crunch and fresh herbs for extra flavor. For binding the filling together, we challenged ourselves to find a lighter, mayo-free option. Turns out that hummus does just the trick. This simple swap still delivers all the creaminess you’d want, with minimal added oil. That said, mayo totally works as well. So if that’s what you have on hand – or if you prefer mayo instead - by all means, be our guest.

The filling itself comes together in less than 10 minutes. The hardest part might be cracking open the can of chickpeas, and using a potato masher or fork to smash the chickpeas into smaller pieces. In other words, this recipe isn’t very difficult at all! The chickpea filling can be made in advance and stored separately in the fridge, so that it’s on hand whenever you’re ready to assemble a sandwich (or two). And when packing a yummy work lunch becomes this easy, it’s going to be hard to justify spending your money on subpar takeout lunches near your office. Trust us.

Bread choice is totally up to you, so pick your favorite. When making sandwiches in advance, we like to spread mayo on each slice of bread to keep the bread from going soggy throughout the day. Might seem counterintuitive but it works! If we’re enjoying this sandwich at home, we love to toast or grill the bread beforehand – although this step is completely optional. The sandwich filling is pretty hefty and flavorful on it’s own, so we usually keep it simple and just add a couple pieces of lettuce. But if you want to add other veggies or toppings, definitely feel free to experiment. If bread isn’t your thing, this Lemon & Dill Chickpea filling also tastes delicious in a wrap, lettuce cups, on top of crackers, or even scooped on the side of a bowl or salad.

LEMON & DILL CHICKPEA SANDWICH

MAKES 2-3 SANDWICHES - vegan, gluten free (option)

Ingredients

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and strained

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons hummus

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced

2 teaspoons Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced

1 green onion, finely sliced

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For serving:

Bread (gluten-free, if desired)

Mayo (vegan, if desired)

Lettuce

Directions

Add strained chickpeas, lemon juice, hummus, olive oil, and Dijon mustard to a bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the chickpeas until they start to together into a creamy filling.